Cairn

"Cairn is a brave, tactile, and often mesmerizing climbing experience that tries to capture the raw friction of mountaineering. However, its brilliant "independent limb" system is frequently undermined by invasive survival mechanics that break the immersion and a frustrating camera …"

"There is beauty in Cairn&s;s golden hour-soaked world."

"Cairn is just really nice to play, with an emotionally gripping story and beautiful sights. You will struggle and get frustrated, but you will overcome whatever is in your way."

"Cairn is, to date, one of the best gaming experiences I&s;ve ever played. Some mechanics need revisiting and polishing, but it&s;s a video game full of love, which tells the story of human obsessions."

"Cairn is a unique, slow, and surprisingly relaxing game where you occasionally lose your grip and fall to your death. There&s;s a heartfelt story running through the ascent to the top of the mountain, survival elements as you manage limited …"

"Cairn is a rare example of something niche and languid that, on initial look, may turn away the "casual" crowd. But if you&s;re looking for something contemplative, methodical and equally frustrated, this story-focused climbing sim will summit up nicely for …"

"The core reason you play this is the feeling of inner peace combined with some insanely intense sequences, where you are completely out of resources. If you fall, everything you&s;ve done in the last hour is wasted. That&s;s when you …"

"If a harsh climbing simulator is your thing, Cairn does a great job of providing you with the treacherous conditions of an ambitious mountain climb. It&s;s an outstanding little game in respects to how strategy and perseverance can assist you …"

"Cairn is more than just a pleasant surprise. Expectations were low, but the game made a good impression. The way you get absorbed in the relaxing gameplay is incredible."

"Cairn is a mixed bag that I don&s;t think will be for everyone. Persevering through a difficult section of the climb is extremely satisfying, but on the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating as well. I enjoyed my time …"

"Cairn accurately captures the thrill and intensity of scaling a mountain. Each tentative step communicates the danger of the climb, forcing you to constantly readjust and take calculated risks to succeed. Aava’s flexibility benefits the gameplay, though it can look …"

"Frustrating and relaxing in equal measure, there&s;s something quite special about Cairn, a game all about climbing a mountain. It perfectly captures the tension and peril of every hand and foot movement while also weaving in some light-hearted story sequences …"

"In a way, this indie survival-adventure rock-climbing sim is a reminder of an era of games that posed themselves as problems and tasked you to find the solutions on your own. No guides or hints or markers. No button input …"

"With an outstanding gameplay loop and so much freedom to climb where and how you like, Cairn is incredible."

"When all its merits were added together, I was constantly drawn back to the climb to see the next vista. Cairn is challenging as a game and as a story; because, and not despite its many differences from other games …"

"Cairn successfully conveys the physical and mental challenge of free climbing in the most realistic way possible, making it an experience with "that magic" you can only see in video games."

"Maybe it was just the entrancing physicality of Cairn&s;s central climbing and survival mechanics. But at some point, whatever wall existed between myself and the game came down and I was there with Aava and she was with me."

"A flawed but brilliant mountaineering game that splices survival gameplay and a fascinating four-limb climbing system with exploration, risk-taking, and the emotional fallout from a climber’s loved ones."

"Cairn has now become one of my favourite games of all time. I absolutely love the game’s reactive climbing mechanics, the tough-but-fair difficulty, and its entire presentation is simply gorgeous. Even though there aren’t really any changes between playthroughs, this …"

"Very few games have mechanics that sing in such unison like Cairn, much less with such a unique voice. Whether you&s;re a fan of the genre, an adventure junkie or seeking a challenge, make the climb."

"Cairn is a phenomenal climbing game. There were times where I wanted to throw in the towel because of some minor animation hiccup, but, like Aava, I couldn’t stop. There’s this intriguing parallel at play here, one that I found …"

"Cairn is a well-rounded game that I’d recommend to all kinds of players. Its gameplay and art style make it a truly polished title. The inventory management, the planning involved in the climb, and the memorable moments from the ascent …"

"Cairn is a fantastic game that delivers an experience that tries both your thinking and stick skills. Aava is a unique character that serves as a great conduit to the emotions that you may go through while playing and all …"

"A brilliant climbing adventure that siphons the rage out of navigation puzzlers like Death Stranding and Baby Steps, resulting in something prickly, but warmly approachable."

"Cairn is a great climbing simulator, one that presents you with an entire mountain and complete freedom to traverse it as you please. Some light survival mechanics apply just enough pressure to push you forward, and the purposely slow pace …"

"The game is definitely worth a chance. Just be prepared to experience plenty of crashes before you manage to succeed — thankfully, not system crashes."

"Cairn would mean nothing without the journey, and like both the mountain you are challenging and the climb itself, it is an incredible one."

"The bottom line is that you either love it or hate it, but Cairn remains an excellent narrative and interactive climbing simulation experience. The slow gameplay rhythm keeps you tense the entire time you are on the walls, and between …"